House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer vowed Tuesday to resolve the dispute over abortion language that threatens to sink Democrats’ efforts to enact a health care overhaul.

But he conceded that so far he has not sat down with Rep. Bart Stupak , D-Mich., the de facto leader of a group of anti-abortion Democrats, to talk about a possible settlement that could provide the votes party leaders will need to pass the health legislation and send it to President Obama for his signature.

“Abortion has to be resolved,” Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters. “I think it will be resolved one way or the other and the bill will be passed.”

Stupak objects to abortion language in the Senate-passed health care bill that he says is an unacceptable watering-down of a provision he negotiated with Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., last November in the House-passed version of the legislation. He says there about a dozen anti-abortion Democrats who won’t vote for final passage of the health legislation if the Senate abortion language isn’t stiffened.

Hoyer said Stupak recently approached him on the House floor to request a meeting to discuss the issue. So far, they have not met, Hoyer said.

Stupak on Monday signalled willingness to deal.

“I’m more optimistic than I was a week ago,” Stupak told The Associated Press between meetings with constituents in his northern Michigan district.

“The president says he doesn’t want to expand or restrict current law [on abortion]. Neither do I,” Stupak said. “That’s never been our position. So is there some language that we can agree on that hits both points — we don’t restrict, we don’t expand abortion rights? I think we can get there.”

The fight centers on whether individuals receiving federal subsidies to purchase health insurance in the new marketplaces the bill would create should be able to obtain coverage for abortion under those plans. The House bill has a blanket prohibition. The Senate bill is not as restrictive, but would attempt to prevent federal funding for abortion coverage by requiring people buying subsidized policies to make two monthly payments to their insurers — one to cover abortion services, and one for all other medical coverage.